NCAA Swimming & NIL: Social Media Opportunities On The Men’s Side

Courtesy: Robert Dickson

NCAA Swimming and Diving is approaching its most popular time of the year. Dual meets will be wrapping up over the next couple of weeks and then all attention will be turned towards conference championships and NCAAs. Given that championship season brings the most attention to the sport, it is the perfect opportunity for athletes to capitalize on their name, image, and likeness (NIL).

This table illustrates the men’s NCAA leaders in each event and their corresponding Instagram followings.

* Represents American Athletes

Some athletes can maximize their NIL value easier than others. Out of the 13 individual events, nine of them are led by international athletes. Nearly all international student-athletes are in the United States on an F-1 visa. A F-1 visa places restrictions on student employment and therefore can interfere with NIL activities. There are two types of NIL activities: Active and Passive. Active NIL activities violate the F-1 visa restrictions on student employment because foreign athletes are prohibited from engaging in off-campus employment unless it is part of a work study. Such activities include autograph appearances, promotional appearances, and social media postings. Social media postings are included in active income because the foreign athlete is being “requested” to perform an action.

Passive activities are allowed because the athlete would not be required to perform labor. These activities are usually seen through licensing opportunities. Unfortunately for international athletes, active opportunities are far more popular than passive opportunities. Brands prefer active opportunities because the athlete can leverage their social media following and direct their audience to a link or some other action.

For the four American athletes, they have very few restrictions when engaging in NIL activities. Each athlete is permitted to engage in both active and passive NIL activities so long as the activity does not violate their school’s NIL policies.

The most common form of NIL activity is social media promotion. According to a 2022 survey encompassing 1,100 Division I athletes conducted by NIL expert Bill Carter, nearly ¾ of all NIL activity in collegiate athletics came in the form of social media postings and content creation. There are three primary categories of “influencers” based on social media data:

• Macro Influencers: > 100k followers
• Micro Influencers: 10k-100k followers
• Nano Influencers: <10k followers

All four American athletes would fall into the nano influencer category, which is the most popular among brands given the “influencer’s” connection with their followers and content.

Nano Influencers: 4,010 Instagram, 505 TikTok, 4,372 Twitter.

According to Influencer Marketing Hub, Nano Influencers (h/t: @billcarternil) are the most sought-after by brands because of their strong relationship with their community and their personal content.

— Total Player Value (@tpvanalytics) January 30, 2024

With the championship season approaching, three different types of NIL activities make the most sense for NCAA Swimmers and Divers. These options include collaborations with: (1) luggage and storage products; (2)  recovery products; and (3) nutrition products.

Option #1: Luggage and Storage 

Almost all student-athletes are traveling for their conference and NCAA championships. Packing for a championship meet is extremely difficult as athletes have to pack four to five days worth of school-issued gear, snacks, tech suits, goggles, caps, etc. An NIL deal with a brand that sells luggage organizers that make it easier to pack your suitcase can make the packing process stress-free. On the travel back from the meet, luggage organizers can keep chlorine-soaked suits, towels, and goggles away from the rest of an athlete’s belongings.

Option #2: Recovery Products

A three-day conference championship can have athletes swim in three individual events and up to four relays. That is a lot of high-intensity swimming in a short amount of time. Entering into an NIL deal with brands that deal in compression gear, foam rollers, and massage guns can help the body manage the workload. The volume of racing makes swimmers a perfect match with recovery companies.

Option #3: Nutrition

Nutrition is one of the most covered topics by coaches and support staff at early season meetings. Athletes understand the importance of nutrition and the impact it can have on performance. Swimming and Diving student-athletes align with nutrition companies because of the grueling schedules and duration of the season. Partnering with these companies for an NIL deal makes sense because the athlete can showcase how the specific product makes a difference and is used on a daily basis.

Each of the four American athletes can pitch themselves as the premier NCAA talent in their respective events. Collaborations could include Instagram stories and stand-alone posts (brands like a combination of both) or even have the athlete take over the brand’s account and show the brand’s followers what a day in the life is like for top-tier athletes and how the brand’s products are utilized.